


Pink Cashmere

by MercurialBianca_TheHonorableMrsMcCarthy



Series: The Singer - A Paisley Fantasy [2]
Category: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Genre: F/F, Pre-Femslash, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-10
Updated: 2016-05-10
Packaged: 2018-06-07 14:05:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6808054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MercurialBianca_TheHonorableMrsMcCarthy/pseuds/MercurialBianca_TheHonorableMrsMcCarthy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Oh, here I go again<br/>Falling in love all over<br/>Oh, the cycle never ends<br/>You just pray you don't get burned<br/>Oh, this fire inside of me<br/>Don't nobody realize<br/>Oh, what you are to me<br/>But baby you got to learn<br/>I'm making you a coat of pink cashmere<br/>You got to know how I feel about you<br/>How I always want you near<br/>I'm making you a coat of pink cashmere<br/>I'm counting every minute of every hour<br/>'Til you are here<br/>~Prince</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pink Cashmere

**Author's Note:**

  * For [projectcyborg](https://archiveofourown.org/users/projectcyborg/gifts).



> This is another drabble that grew into a ficlet. So posting as two pieces with two different song inspirations and dedicating to two different women! So, consider this a very belated birthday gift @projectcyborg

The crisp, briny sea air still thrilled her. She had been inhaling it deeply for the past three days. She felt with every exhale she was shedding some of Melbourne and felt lighter and more hopeful than she had in weeks.

She only wished Phryne or Jack - and late at night during dreams that left her panting, Phryne and Jack - were with her on this adventure as well. Taking the trip on her own felt bold and daring. And she certainly enjoyed exploring the ship at her own pace, stopping to read in the sun or lean on the rails to watch dolphins or whales in the water as the mood struck.

Being a single woman on a cruise ship had made her quite popular. She felt she might have sat with different dining companions each evening thus far. There was a dinner dance scheduled for three days from now and her valet had brought her calling cards from three gentlemen who wished to escort her that dance. She pondered the cards over her morning meal which she had taken in her cabin that morning. She had felt almost guilty taking such an indulgence but decided that as she had splurged on the cabin, she might as well enjoy it.

She sat trying to conjure up the faces and other attributes that went with each calling card. There was Aubrey, the psychologist widower who had bumped into her the very first evening on board. They had shared a table that evening with a lovely couple who were heading to Cambridge for university study and a perfectly dreadful couple who were affronted because they had not been invited to the Captain’s table that evening. Aubrey had done his best to try and steer the conversation to cheerful topics like music and novels but it had been an uphill battle. She had found him charming and from certain angles he could have been called handsome.

The next day, she had decided to go for a walk around the perimeter of the ship to gather her bearings and stretch her legs. Along the way she had literally bumped into Rupert who had been looking up through a set of binoculars and not aware of his surroundings. He was an ornithologist who had been working on a book cataloging birds of Australia. He was on his way to present some of his work at a conference in London accompanied by his sister and the book’s illustrator, Leila. They had become so caught up in discussing the migratory pattern of curlew sandpiper that they had chatted all the way into the dining room where Leila had just sat down to tea. They joined her and the three had chatted until Rupert caught a flash of wings and excused himself to chase down this intriguing new specimen. She and Leila continued to chat, for the better part of the afternoon until Leila was reluctantly called back outside by a very animated Rupert in need of Leila’s sketch book. She thought of him being rather intense and she was a little surprised he was even entertaining the idea of going to the dance at all.

Finally, there was George. And unfortunately for George she couldn’t remember one thing about him because she had completely tuned out once he’d said his name. It was a pity because she remembered being struck by his lovely eyes before that.

Rosie had fanned the three cards out on the tray as she pondered her decision. Suddenly, something caught her eye. There was a coral streak on George’s card. She picked up Rupert’s card, turned it over and slightly gasped. On the other side was a lipstick print and in an artful hand was printed Leila 11:00 Sun Deck.

Rosie laid back into the pillows thinking about this intriguing turn of events. If it was Rosie thought than this was a bold gesture on the part of Leila. What cheek to presume Rosie might have Sapphist leanings. Rosie was so new at all of this. Was this how things were done? She desperately wished she had known Dr. MacMillan better and been able to ask her about this sort of thing before she left.

Ah well, nothing to be done about that now. Rosie would have to navigate this bit of intrigue on her own.

She let her mind wander, thinking back to the other day and their tete-a-tete over tea and those delicious coconut biscuits. Leila had lovely deep chestnut hair that was darker than her own but not as dark as Phryne’s. It was cut just below her chin but her natural waves kept it soft. Rosie remembered it being a little wild actually and kept at bay by a headband.  She had steely blue/grey eyes that were as expressive as her hands when she was talking. She was slender, but muscular in a way that wasn’t fashionable but fit her frame well. Rosie hadn’t realized how tall she was until she had jumped up to say her hasty goodbye before scampering off after her brother.

She was quite striking really. Rosie felt her breathing quickening and her heart was fluttering like a caged bird. Deep breath Rosie, it’s just a meeting. Don’t get ahead of yourself. But for goodness gracious get moving if you want to make it on time!

She had taken a nice long soak the evening before and slept with her hair in pins so fortunately it didn’t take long to arrange her hair. Rosie had packed rather lightly, deciding to pick up new clothes for her new life once she arrived in the UK. She chose a sundress that was cleverly tailored to flatter both her bosom and her slender hips without being too sensual. She pinned on her new sun hat, purchased for the trip, dabbed on plum lip stain and surveyed the results in the looking glass. She felt put together but not that she was trying too hard. Perfect.

She made her way to the sun deck and was pleasantly surprised that Leila was waiting there by herself. “You came?!”

The simple sentence let her release the breath she had been holding.

“I did. Good to see you again Leila.”

She dropped her voice and leaned in towards Rosie “I wasn’t sure if you would see my note, or get my meaning. And if you did, if you would come.”

Rosie smiled softly at her “I am not very well versed in these things I admit. But I did very much enjoy your company the other day and hoped we would run into each other again on the voyage. I was pleasantly surprised to receive your note.”

It was noncommittal, so Leila wanted to make sure they were indeed on the same page. “I hope you aren’t disappointed that I am not Rupert? That I have lured you here under false pretenses?”

Rosie slid closer to her but not so much as to raise any eyebrows from other passengers. “I am very pleased to see you Leila. Perhaps we could walk a bit?”

It was Leila’s turn to let out a sigh of relief. She beamed at Rosie, offered her arm and the two set out to stroll the deck of the ship together.

Rosie shared that she was a divorcée and that after a rather disastrous engagement (the less said about it the better) she had done some soul searching. And that had led her to explore aspects of herself that had laid dormant for far too long.

Leila, had realized fairly early on her romantic preferences and growing up in a home of rather eccentric academics, she had a wider berth than most to explore those preferences. Rupert appeared almost asexual, his passion was in his studies, with only the occasional brief affair, usually a fellow academic.

Much like their first meeting, they found they had an easy time chatting with each other. They had managed to converse from one deck to the other and as they passed by a rather large column Leila stopped and turned to face Rosie. The intensity dancing in Leila’s eyes gave Rosie that fluttery feeling again. Leila stepped closer to her and ran a gentle hand down Rosie’s cheek.

“Rosie, I would like to kiss you now, if that’s okay with you.”

Rosie thrilled at the directness, and gave a nod in the affirmative. Leila’s kiss was soft but without hesitation. Even if it was all too brief, it proved warm and inviting. 

“I have been wanting to do that all morning.”

“So have I.”

“Would you like me to do it again?”

“More than anything.”

Their moment was delayed due to the sudden appearance of some of the crew. Once the crew passed, Leila quickly leaned over and kissed her again.

They shared an impish grin at the thrill of almost being caught. 

“Care to join me for lunch Miss Sanderson.”

Rosie giggled at the formality of the request.

“Why Miss Thompson, I would be delighted.”

Lunch turned into an agreeable chat back on the sun deck where Rupert joined them. He was far less intense this time around and the three shared in pleasant conversation that continued right through tea. By then they were all friends and it was Rupert who thought Rosie should meet up with them for dinner. Both women shared a surprised look but Rosie was only too happy to accept.

After dinner, Rupert excused himself, claiming an early morning of observations but Rosie failed to miss the look the siblings shared before Rupert had made his exit. Rosie was all too familiar with the meaningful glances between siblings. She smiled softly to herself thinking of her own sister and the looks they had shared when their suitors had come calling. It was during after dinner drinks that they devised their plan for the night of the dance. They would hold a dance of their own. Rosie’s suite was large enough and while they could have easily attended the dance with everyone else, Rupert serving as both of their escort, the idea of a private evening appealed to them even more.

The next morning, she wrote brief notes to her other suitors letting them know that her dance card was full. She picked up Rupert’s calling card, flipping it to the side with Leila’s message. Running her fingers lightly over the lip print so as to not smudge it any further she remembered the warmth and softness of the lips that made it. She realized that while she was not prepared to close the door on other suitors, she was more than happy to take her time with Leila Thompson and all the promise she felt in her kiss. Kisses as soft and warm as pink cashmere.

~~~

 


End file.
